Jackson has 17 as Bobcats beat Nets in Izod finale

Apr 13, 2010 - 2:44 AM
By TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.(AP) -- The New Jersey Nets opened their
29-year NBA stay at the Meadowlands with a loss and they ended
the run the same way.

The constant in both events was Larry Brown. He coached the Nets
that night in 1981 against the Knicks and he was back for the
final game to guide the Charlotte Bobcats over New Jersey 105-95
on Monday night.

"I was here for the first and the last," Brown said. "What does
that tell you? How dumb are these people who keep hiring me? I'm
sure over my career I've been in a lot of buildings and
outlasted them. Me. Nelly (Don Nelson) and Lenny (Wilkins).
Coach (Jerry) Sloan. I don't know if that's a good thing."

The good news for Brown is that his Bobcats (44-37) are headed
for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

With Miami's win over Philadelphia earlier Monday, the Bobcats
were cemented into the No. 7 playoff spot in the Eastern
Conference and will meet the defending conference champion
Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs this weekend.

"They got a great coach," Brown said of Stan Van Gundy. "They
went to finals last year and all they did was add Vince Carter.
Everyday that Dwight (Howard) plays, he's better. They're a team
that can win the NBA championship. They have all the things
going for them."

Stephen Jackson had 17 points and nine rebounds to lead the
Bobcats, but the story of the game for Charlotte was its bench.
It outscored New Jersey 50-4 with Gerald Henderson getting 14
points, Tyrus Thomas 13 and D.J. Augustin 11.

"The first half, we just tried to come in and give them a
boost," said Henderson, who also had seven rebounds. "When you
get in there, you just try to keep it the same or get it better.
We played some pretty good defense down the stretch and we
converted our offense pretty good. It was a pretty good overall
game."

Devin Harris had 22 points and Terrence Williams added 21 and 13
rebounds for the Nets, who finished 655-518 in the Meadowlands.

"It's disappointing losing the last game at Izod," Harris said.
"But it's been like that for us all season."

The Nets (12-69) will play the next two seasons at the
Prudential Center in Newark, before moving into a new arena in
Brooklyn in 2012.

"I hate to see them leave New Jersey," Brown said.

The victory was the ninth in 12 games for the Bobcats, who gave
starting small forward Gerald Wallace the night off so he could
rest his bruised left shoulder for the playoffs.

Charlotte blew a 15-point halftime lead and had to rally late in
the third quarter with Jackson leading a six-point run to go
ahead 81-77 heading to the fourth quarter.

After the teams exchanged a couple of baskets, Augustin hit a
baseline jumper and Henderson, who also had seven rebounds,
converted a three-point play to push the lead to 90-81.

Tyson Chandler added a free throw and Thomas made two more to
stretch the advantage to 93-81 and New Jersey never got close
again.

Trailing by 15 at the half, the Nets opened the third quarter
with an 18-5 spurt and eventually took a 74-73 lead rebound
follow by Yi Jianlian with 3:16 left in the quarter.

Jackson then sandwiched a jumper and a strong driving layup
around a basket by Boris Diaw to give Charlotte a 79-74 lead.

Harris had 12 of the Nets' 33 points in the quarter in which
coach Kiki Vandeweghe played his starters almost the entire
period.

NOTES: Henderson had two highlight-reel plays late in the second
quarter with a dunk over Nets G Devin Harris and a reverse play
with a pump fake. ... Thomas returned to the Bobcats' lineup
after missing three games with a dislocated right thumb. ...
Nets reserve F Kris Humphries injured his right elbow in the
first half and did not return. ... Backup point guard Keyon
Dooling was inactive with a groin injury, while starting small
forward Jarvis Hayes missed his second straight game with a
sprained right ankle. ... The teams split four games this
season.